POCOPSON — West Chester resident Dave Burry has had quite a few dogs over the years – 22 to be exact. But he’s not the male equivalent of the stereotypical “crazy cat lady.”

Instead, Burry is one of hundreds of volunteers who work with dogs to prepare them for a life of service through Paws 4 People and its subsidiary, Paws 4 Vets.

Founded in 1999 by then-12-year-old Kyria Henry, the non-profit Paws 4 People program works to enhance the lives of disabled and special education students, senior citizens, seriously ill or disabled persons by utilizing the positive effects of canine companionship.

Since then, over 1,200 trained service dogs have been paired with folks who sometimes need a hand – or in this case, a paw – in getting by on a day-to-day basis.

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Burry first became familiar with the organization several years ago, and has continued working with the dogs, helping to train them in a public setting.

And although Burry and his family enjoys working with the dogs and seeing them move on to a life of service for a person in need, he decided to do something more than simply volunteer his time.

So he though: why not sell Christmas trees?

This is the second year of selling trees for Burry and his son Joshua, who is also selling trees from a second location in Chadds Ford. “Last year we did OK, but this year I think is going to be a lot better,” Burry said. “We’ve got some homeowners associations, we have banks, car dealerships … everybody’s promoting this for us.”

Burry said that the appeal of buying a Christmas tree while also supporting a worthwhile cause has brought a lot of return this year and buy from Burry, who pays for the trees out of pocket.

“The guy I got these from (in upstate Pennsylvania) said that in the 30-plus years he’s been doing this they’ve never looked fresher,” Burry said of the Douglas Fir trees he’s selling at Northbrook Marketplace in Pocopson.

The dogs can start their training as service dogs as early as eight weeks, although Burry asserts that even old dogs can learn some of these new tricks.

They begin their training with prisoners certified in teaching the dogs elementary commands before being assigned to an eventual owner.

Burry said that once he receives a dog from Paws 4 Vets, it generally already knows its set commands – sometimes up to 140 different commands, from basics like “sit” to advanced stuff like helping remove socks and assisting with a jacket zipper.

“What I do is the public access training, which means taking them out in public,” Burry said. “Letting them sniff and smell and see all the new stuff they wouldn’t normally see in a sterile environment of a prison.”

Once the dog has grown accustomed to outside distractions – like loud air brakes or simply being around strangers – its ready to go to its owner and begin making their lives better, Burry said.

“The most rewarding this of this is, after the public access training I have the great opportunity to be able to work with these dogs and the people they’re going to be privately placed with,” Burry said.

That style of transitional or “intervention” training involves working with the recipient and the canine together, demonstrating the benefits of a dog companion to its owner and hoping for a deep bond to form.

Burry cites a variety of experiences with the dogs, including April, who could not leave her home before meeting her companion.

“Now she can be independent,” Burry said. “It’s an incredible transformation. When you get to work with (the owners), and teach them the commands and use the dog to their benefit, it’s absolutely amazing.”

Burry is selling his trees at Northbrook because owner Rob Boone and his family are longtime canine partner trainers. In fact, two of their dogs – Hayden and Berringer – are now permanent additions to their family.

“They’re the official ambassadors for Paws 4 Vets and Paws 4 People here at Northbrook,” Boone said, giving Berringer a playful rub on the head. “They go home with us – they’re family pets as well as service working dogs.”

Boone and Burry both acknowledge that it’s hard to let them go when the training is through.

“They’re family members,” Boone said.

“My girlfriend became very close with Maisy,” Burry said of the Golden Retriever he helped train last year. “It was her favorite dog – she was very special. There are a few I will always keep close to my heart.”

The trees are available at Northbrook Marketplace on Route 842, and in Chadds Ford, along Route 1 at the intersection of the train tracks.